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The history of GUI icons is full of this stuff... A pencil for "edit" even though you have a computer now. A floppy disk for "save" even though they went out

The history of GUI icons is full of this stuff... A pencil for "edit" even though you have a computer now. A floppy disk for "save" even though they went out in the 90s. Manila file folders for files/directories even though few people use them anymore. Wristwatches, and even more old-school: hourglasses, for wait time. ...

CannisterFlux 9y ago
A magnifying glass for search. An ancient-looking camera for screenshots, even though no camera is involved and most people take photos on their phone nowadays. In recent years the floppy disk icon and the hourglass have started falling out of fashion. Sometimes save is a sort of slab with an arrow https://openclipart.org/image/2400px/svg_to_png/32251/document-save-as.png https://openclipart.org/image/2400px/svg_to_png/32251/docume... though loads of places still uses an old-skool 3.5" floppy. The hourglass is often just a spinner now. The pencil is everywhere, though what else could you use? It means more than "pencil" now, I see that and think edit.
- talmand 9y ago
  The hourglass is still the equivalent of a spinner. The spinner didn't replace the hourglass as more as became another option for the same thing. An hourglass is still representative of time passing while you are waiting on something. Which is different than a save button referring to an object that you once actually saved data to. The floppy as a save icon was just a bad idea at the time as there were other things to save to.
- criddell 9y ago
  Your camera example made me think of how digital cameras often have a shutter sound effect when taking a photo.
  - AnimalMuppet 9y ago
    But the audio feedback that it took a picture is actually useful. Sure, it could be a different sound, but there should be a sound? Why a sound? Because my eye is busy composing the view. I don't want to have to look at some magic place in the view to see if a light flashes or an icon comes up or whatever.
    - criddell 9y ago
      I totally agree. I just think the shutter noise is a bit of audio skeuomorphism.
  - MarcScott 9y ago
    The sound effect is a pretty good privacy feature - especially in Japan apparently. https://www.engadget.com/2016/09/30/David https://www.engadget.com/2016/09/30/David Eppsteinjapans-noisy-iphone-problem/
majewsky 9y ago
> Manila file folders TIL why OpenStack's NFS-as-a-service offering is called Manila. :)
MarcScott 9y ago
I once showed my students an image of a floppy disk and asked them what it was. One kid said it was a 3D printed Save icon.

CannisterFlux 9y ago

A magnifying glass for search. An ancient-looking camera for screenshots, even though no camera is involved and most people take photos on their phone nowadays. In recent years the floppy disk icon and the hourglass have started falling out of fashion. Sometimes save is a sort of slab with an arrow https://openclipart.org/image/2400px/svg_to_png/32251/document-save-as.png https://openclipart.org/image/2400px/svg_to_png/32251/docume... though loads of places still uses an old-skool 3.5" floppy. The hourglass is often just a spinner now. The pencil is everywhere, though what else could you use? It means more than "pencil" now, I see that and think edit.

talmand 9y ago
The hourglass is still the equivalent of a spinner. The spinner didn't replace the hourglass as more as became another option for the same thing. An hourglass is still representative of time passing while you are waiting on something. Which is different than a save button referring to an object that you once actually saved data to. The floppy as a save icon was just a bad idea at the time as there were other things to save to.
criddell 9y ago
Your camera example made me think of how digital cameras often have a shutter sound effect when taking a photo.
- AnimalMuppet 9y ago
  But the audio feedback that it took a picture is actually useful. Sure, it could be a different sound, but there should be a sound? Why a sound? Because my eye is busy composing the view. I don't want to have to look at some magic place in the view to see if a light flashes or an icon comes up or whatever.
  - criddell 9y ago
    I totally agree. I just think the shutter noise is a bit of audio skeuomorphism.
- MarcScott 9y ago
  The sound effect is a pretty good privacy feature - especially in Japan apparently. https://www.engadget.com/2016/09/30/David https://www.engadget.com/2016/09/30/David Eppsteinjapans-noisy-iphone-problem/

majewsky 9y ago

> Manila file folders TIL why OpenStack's NFS-as-a-service offering is called Manila. :)

MarcScott 9y ago

I once showed my students an image of a floppy disk and asked them what it was. One kid said it was a 3D printed Save icon.